


Syracuse Charade

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Angst, Canon, Drama, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-02-03
Updated: 2004-03-05
Packaged: 2018-12-26 18:53:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12064980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: Brian gets sent on a business trip, only this time to a not-so-glamorous location. The boys have recently reunited - how will they handle the separation? This fic happens post-Ep. 220, but no spoilers (so far) from Season 3.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

The loft on the sixth floor of the building on Tremont Street was dark, save the blue lights above the king-sized bed. The lights cast a soft halo around the two men who were deep asleep. 

There was motion under the duvet – Brian rolled over. A look of happiness briefly crossed his face. His motions ceased, albeit temporarily.

***

Brian parked his Jeep in the underground parking garage at the Pittsburgh Marriot. _‘What the fuck am I doing?’_ Brian asked himself as he turned off the ignition and got out of the Jeep.

Brian, usually the perfect image of cool, was visibly nervous.

He fidgeted with the white silk scarf that was draped casually around his neck as he waited for the elevator to arrive. He was dressed immaculately, as always, in a black Armani suit, black shirt, and his favorite Prada boots. He had a dark maroon bowtie hanging untied around the collar of his shirt. He had left the top two buttons of his shirt undone, not wanting to be overly formal, but still contemplating putting the entire package together.

_Fuck it,_ he thought, as he punched the elevator call button again. _I can still go back to the loft._ As he contemplated his next move, the muffled ding from the light above the elevator announced its presence. The doors opened and Brian stepped inside, punching the button for the lobby level of the hotel.

Checking his reflection in the polished silver doors of the confining elevator, Brian continued to ask himself what it was that he thought he would accomplish tonight. As the elevator jolted to a stop, he made sure that his game face was in place.

Glancing around the hotel lobby, he found the signs indicating which room he wanted. Striding confidently toward the French doors that led to the Grand Ballroom, Brian kept repeating the same words to himself like a mantra – _I can do this._

He stopped walking just before he reached the doors, contemplating his next step. _Shit, he thought. I’m Brian Fucking Kinney for Christ’s sake. I **can** do this._ With that thought steeling his nerves, Brian closed the gap between himself and his destiny.

He opened the doors and strode into the gaily decorated room. Balloons and metallic streamers were everywhere. As he looked around the room, he noticed Daphne. Walking confidently through the crowded room, ignoring the looks that were thrown at him, Brian made a beeline for the woman in the peach chiffon gown. Pausing only slightly, he ensured himself of his target and continued to walk.

Daphne spotted Brian and tapped the blonde man standing next to her. She pointed in Brian’s direction, and the man turned around with a stunned look on his face. Daphne broke out with a full-face-grin, as Justin slowly smiled. Brian reached the pair, and stood directly in front of the blonde, glancing quickly at Daphne.

“I thought you said that you wouldn’t be caught dead in a room full of eighteen year olds” Justin stated, not able to break eye contact.

“I thought I would recapture my lost youth,” Brian said, while turning to face Daphne. “You look hot, Daphne.” He bent down slightly to place a kiss on her cheek. “I’d fuck you.”

Daphne started to blush, fumbling to reply. “Um, you too, Brian.” She stared at the floor, not knowing how else to react.

“Mind if I borrow your date?” Brian inquired. Daphne looked at Brian, smiled, and touched Justin briefly on the shoulder as she stepped away from the couple.

Brian took Justin by the hand and led him toward the dance floor. The throng of people divided and cleared a path for the couple. Brian turned Justin to face him and placed the silk scarf around his neck. The dance floor cleared while the beginnings of “Save the Last Dance for Me” began to fill the air in the room. At that moment, all Brian saw was his lover – no longer a teenager, yet hardly a man. Brian had never seen Justin dressed in anything other than khakis and T-shirts. The sight took his breath away.

***

Brian, still sleeping, began to move around again and drew himself closer to the other occupant of the large bed.

***

They began to dance – a slow, seductive dance. Brian forgot about everything outside of the man in his arms. They moved together as one, never breaking eye contact. Brian could not stop smiling. He was not aware of the other people watching them – most with smiles on their faces. He was only aware of one person: Justin.

Justin placed his hands between himself and Brian and unbuttoned Brian’s jacket. He slid his hands up Brian’s chest and down his shoulders to free the jacket. Brian could feel the electricity from Justin’s touch even through the material of his shirt. Walking slowly around Brian, Justin slid his jacket off, tossed it to Daphne and the white scarf back around Brian’s neck.

_I have never been happier,_ Brian thought as he wrapped his arms around the younger man’s waist, lifted him off the floor, and twirled him in the air. As Brian returned him to the floor, he stared in to Justin’s beautiful blue eyes for only a moment before leaning in for a kiss.

They kissed, in front of a room full of people whom they had forgotten. Brian broke the kiss first and gazed deeply in to Justin’s stunning blue eyes. He finally understood the feelings that had been threatening to take over his life. Justin was no longer just a fuck. Justin was his lover. His friend. His partner. 

Brian and Justin started to run out of the room, fingers intertwined. Daphne ran after the pair and tapped Justin lightly on the back. Justin stopped and squeezed Brian’s hand to tell him to stop. They turned around and Daphne handed Brian back his jacket. He winked and continued out the door.

Brian never wanted this night or this feeling to end. Brian dragged Justin toward the parking garage and they ran, danced, and sang their way back to the Jeep.

“Did you see their faces?” Justin exclaimed. He was smiling the biggest sunshine-smile that Brian had ever seen. The smile lit up the younger man’s face and made his eyes shine with a glow that Brian had never seen before. _Now I know why Debbie calls him Sunshine. Damn, I do love this man,_ Brian realized.

***

The two sleeping forms moved closer together, with Brian reaching out to draw Justin closer to him.

***

“Yeah, you gave them a prom they will never forget.” Brian pulled Justin over to the side of the Jeep.

Justin looked up in to hazel eyes. “Me neither. This is the best night of my life.”

Brian leaned in closer. “Even if it was ridiculously romantic.” Both men smiled at each other. Brian leaned in to Justin kissing him deeply. He took the scarf from around his neck and slid it around Justin’s. Winding the scarf around his hand, he pulled Justin away from the Jeep. 

The couple turned and Brian leaned against the Jeep. “Later” he whispered, while fingering the tassels at the end of the scarf. 

“Later.” Justin whispered back. They stared at each other for a moment. Brian smiled at the younger man as he turned away to go back to the stairs. Brian slowly got into the driver’s seat of the Jeep, shutting the door.

Seeing from the rearview mirror, Brian watched Justin walk back toward the stairway door. A broad smile crept on to his face and in to his eyes. 

As Brian watched Justin walking away, another person stepped in behind him. Brian could see the baseball bat in the other person’s right hand. He froze momentarily, and then jumped out of the Jeep. **“JUSTIN!”** he cried out, flinging the door of the Jeep shut as he started to run toward his lover.

Justin turned back to face Brian, smiling. Just then, the person wielding the bat swung.

***

The daylight was beginning to stream in through the large windows of the loft. Brian’s breathing quickened, and he began to thrash around the bed as if fighting with an unseen demon.

Brian began to yell **“No, no, NO!”**


	2. Syracuse Charade

Brian woke up with a jump, sweaty and breathing hard from the emotion he felt in his dream. Reaching behind him, he gently ran his hand along the warm body that lay next to him. He rolled over, trying to be careful not to wake the other person in his bed. _Person is an understatement,_ he thought groggily. _Unidentified lump is more like it._

He carefully slid the duvet down to reveal his lover’s shoulders. Watching Justin sleep was one of Brian’s guilty pleasures, although he would never admit that to anyone. It was a stellar, sunny morning in Pittsburgh. It was a beautiful morning for March, when the weather was unpredictable at best. But this morning was a work of art. The beautiful hues in the sunrise – reds, yellows, and purples – were pouring through the openings of the frosted glass louvers that separated the bedroom from the rest of the loft. The sunrise was lighting Justin’s blond hair, which gave him an angelic glow.

Brian was lost in his thoughts, idly tracing light circles along his young lover’s skin. He gently leaned over to kiss Justin’s forehead. “Good morning, Sunshine.” Justin opened his eyes and gave Brian a huge smile, one that could melt the polar icecaps. “Mornin. What time is it? It feels like we just got home. Lemme sleep a little longer. Please?”

“No such luck,” Brian sighed. “We have to get out of bed. Don’t you have classes today?”

Justin grabbed the edge of the duvet and rolled over, cocooning himself deeper in to the bed. “My head feels like I got hit by a Mack truck last night. Lemme sleep.”

“If I have to be up, so do you Sunshine. Not that I am feeling much better than you, be sure of that.” With that, Brian grabbed the end of the duvet and pulled as he got out of bed.

“HEY!” Justin screamed, scrambling off the bed after Brian, and the now-missing duvet. “That was rude!”

“I know, but it did get you out of bed.” Brian stated dryly.

“Asshole.” Justin grumbled under his breath.

“I know I am one…” Brian’s sentence was cut short by a pillow that was thrown in his general direction by his now-awake lover.

“Coffee this morning, Bri?” Justin inquired as he was padding toward the kitchen to start their morning routine.

Brian stood next to the bed, watching him bounce toward the kitchen. Brought back to reality by the sound of Justin’s voice, he hollered back to him “No, not this morning. I think I am going to need Cynthia’s patented mud in a cup to shake this hangover.”


	3. Syracuse Charade

Brian dropped Justin off at the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts campus. After a brief kiss goodbye, Brian headed over to the Vangard Associates office that he called his home away from home. Brian always prided himself on his punctuality as well as his attitude at work. His attitude, and penchant for firing assistants and creative staff, had earned him the nickname of “Killer Kinney” his first year working at the agency. 

Since then, the agency had changed hands from Marty Ryder to Gardner Vance. It was no secret that Gardner didn’t like Brian. Winning the Brown Athletic account, where Gardner had never been able to, was the only reason that Brian still had his job.

“Good Morning Cynthia,” Brian said as he walked straight into his office and closed the door.

_Shit. This is going to be a terribly long day,_ he mused. It had already started out wonderfully by waking up late, but also the added hell of the hangover threatened to carry a thundercloud over his head. 

Cynthia, Brian’s assistant, strode in to his office carrying the first of what looked like many cups of coffee that Brian would need to get through today. “Vance has already come by looking for you. He would like to see you in his office five minutes ago.”

Brian took the cup of coffee from his assistant and drank deeply. “What else could go wrong today?” he muttered under his breath. “Anything else Cynthia?”

She shook her head, turned around and walked out of the office, gently shutting the door.

Brian walked down the hallway to Vance’s office, with a thousand thoughts running through his head. Vance had never made it a secret that he wanted to knock Brian down a couple of notches. 

The first thing that Gardner Vance did upon purchasing Ryder Associates, beyond changing the name to Vangard, was to get rid of the entire advertising executive team. With the exception of Brian and Cynthia, no one from the old Ryder team had survived. Vance – as he preferred to be called – made it extremely clear to Brian right from the beginning that he did not like the way that Marty Ryder had run his business, and that it was all about to change. 

Vance had given Brian one chance to prove his worth to the agency, one week for Brian to make or break his career. Brian, however, saw right through his new boss to his deep, dark interior and decided to do everything in his power to make partner. He had decided to go for broke. He was going after the big client that was always one step away from Vance: Brown Athletic.

Brian figured that if he could get Brown to sign a campaign deal and a multimillion-dollar contract that he would be able to keep his job and also make partner. Brian’s gamble worked. Vance was forced to keep Brian on staff and promote him. It also forced Vance to admit something that pained him very deeply – that without Brian Kinney, Vangard would be nothing but a backwater ad agency in a steel mining town.

Brian knocked twice on the cherry wood doorframe to his business partner’s office and took one step inside. “Vance, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Sit down, Kinney.” Vance stated in a curt tone of voice, cutting Brian off mid-sentence. 

Brian sat down in one of the leather chairs facing Vance’s desk. His eyes glanced briefly over the top of the desk. He noticed something sitting on the desktop that made his blood pressure go up: a Liberty Air ticket folder.

“As you know, since I took over here at Vangard, I have been aggressively hunting down prime advertising contracts.” Vance droned on in his clipped British accent, obviously impressed with himself. “I want to make Vangard the biggest advertising agency in the United States.”

“Let’s get down to business. I have more important things to do with my day than shoot the shit with you this morning, Vance.” Brian stated with a mild tone of annoyance in his voice. _Shit, I would rather be back in my office nursing this fucking hangover than listening to this overbearing blowhard,_ he thought.

“I am sending you to New York, Kinney,” Vance continued, as if he was never interrupted. “I want you to go after one of the biggest financial firms on the East coast and bring its advertising business to us. This firm is aggressively looking for a fresh, new advertising agency to bring it into the 21st century. I want to show them that we are the ones to do it.”

Brian stared at his business partner, with a cold look on his face. “Are we done here, Vance? I have a lot of work to get accomplished. I assume that you want me in New York as soon as possible.”

“Don’t get all excited, Brian,” Vance started. “It’s not New York City. It’s Syracuse. Upstate New York. And you leave on Monday. Here are the documents you’ll need.” 

Brian took the proffered folder from his partner’s hand and opened it up to inspect the ticket. _Coach. The cheap prick,_ Brian mused. As he continued to idly thumb through the documents in the folder, Brian noticed another set of tickets. The second set was for his assistant, Cynthia. Brian looked at Vance with a questioning expression on his face. 

“I see you noticed the extra set of tickets. I have ensured that Cynthia will be going along with you. I know you would not be able to function without her on this trip,” Vance stated with contempt. 

Brian stood up to leave his partner’s office, his face totally emotionless with the exception of his hazel eyes. His eyes had darkened to betray his anger at the situation. “Thanks for the opportunity Gardner.” Brian turned to walk toward the door when Vance stopped him. Brian turned to face Vance. “What?” Brian uttered, his tone barely concealing his anger.

“By the way, your partnership depends on this trip. Either you win Mutual’s business, or I will begin dissolving your partnership in Vangard.”

Brian glared at Vance for a moment, turned on his heel, and walked out of the office. Opting not to speak at that moment, he instead slammed the door shut to convey his message. 

_Shit,_ Brian thought as he strode back to his office. _That bastard is **still** trying to push me out of the firm. Do I need to remind him of what I have done? Brown Athletic saved my ass from the chopping block the last time – the big client that dear old Gardner Vance couldn’t get himself._ Brian reached his office, walked right past Cynthia without saying a word, and slammed the door shut.

Cynthia stared at the door for a moment, wondering if she should bother telling Brian that his next appointment had called and would be late. Her question was answered less than a minute later when the intercom on her phone buzzed. She hit the speaker button just as Brian started to call her name. “Yes Brian? Is there anything I can help you with?” She was turning on all the charm she had for her boss, hoping it would keep him calm. Her curiosity was already running high, as she noticed the look on Brian’s face when he returned from his meeting with Vance. That look, combined with the unceremonious slamming of his office door, let her know that he was not in a pleasant mood.

“Take me off speakerphone,” He stated gruffly. Brian waited to hear the click of the receiver being picked up before he started to talk again. “You know I hate those damned things. When you have a moment, come in here. We have a couple of things we need to discuss.” He did not even wait for a confirmation from Cynthia before hanging up the phone.

Cynthia gathered the few things she figured she would need for this impromptu meeting with the man she had been working with for the past five years. She had gotten so used to his outbursts and his “we need to discuss this” that she was no longer afraid to approach him. It used to make her into a shaking and insecure wreck when he would call her in to his office, but not anymore.


	4. Syracuse Charade

Brian was rubbing his eyes, hoping it would bring some relief to the headache that was beginning to take over his day. He stared out of the window in his office blankly, trying to figure out why Vance was sending him to some hole-in-the-wall city like Syracuse. _Mutual, why are we going after Mutual,_ he wondered. Brian stood up and walked over to the window overlooking downtown Pittsburgh.

Knocking gently on the door to Brian’s office, Cynthia turned the doorknob and opened the door. Brian turned around and strode back to his desk. Cynthia walked over to her boss’ desk and gently set down a fresh cup of coffee and an Excedrin bottle. “I thought you might need these.”

Brian sat down and reached for the pain relievers. “Thanks, Cynthia. You’re always one step ahead of me. I appreciate that.”

Cynthia stared at Brian for a split second, as he did not compliment people often. “Thanks, Brian. You do keep me on my toes,” she uttered.

Brian noticed the slightly puzzled look on her face, and figured it would be best if he told her of their impending trip before someone else did. “How do you feel about a business trip to New York?”

“New York? Why?” she said with an excited tone in her voice.

Brian turned to face away from Cynthia, not wanting to see the look of disappointment on her face when he told her exactly where they were going. “Well, it’s not New York City, but close. Syracuse, actually.”

The office was silent, except for the gentle hum of the ventilation system. Brian turned around to see a slightly stunned Cynthia. “Did you say ‘Syracuse’? Is this a joke? You can’t be serious.”

“I am as serious as ever. Vance wants me to ‘court Mutual’ in his words, and I am going to need you with me on this one. You are, after all, my miracle worker.” Brian flashed his assistant a broad smile; one that he knew would melt her heart.

Brian never kept his sexuality a secret when he began working for Marty Ryder, but he didn’t go to great lengths to announce it either. It was just a bit of insignificant trivia. He was aware that women were always trying to get his attention. Cynthia was no exception. Brian was sure that at some point she had had a crush on him, but over the years they had developed a professional relationship that made others in the office envious. She was always right there – one step ahead of him, never letting him forget a meeting or conference call. _Why does she put up with me year after year, Brian wondered silently. I guess it’s either my charm, or she just loves to be tortured._

_Like someone else I know._

His thoughts flashed back to Justin. _How in the hell am I going to tell him that I have to leave? He didn’t take the news well the last time._

After Vance had bought out Marty Ryder’s interest in the firm he had pushed Brian in to winning a large account to prove his worth to the company. 

“Well,” Cynthia started, “I should get back to my desk and start doing some research on Syracuse and Mutual. We need to go in prepared.”

Brian gave her a quick nod. “Do I have any appointments today? I thought I had to meet with Mr. Knapp regarding the next wave in the campaign.”

Cynthia checked the printout of Brian’s calendar. “Actually, Mr. Knapp called and said that something had come up, and wondered if he could reschedule. Do you know how long we’ll be out of the office? I need to call him and set up a new appointment?”

Brian tried to keep his cool façade as he answered her. “Actually, no, I don’t know how long we’ll be stuck in Syracuse. See if Mr. Knapp is willing to set up a conference call for early next week after we get settled in up there.”

Cynthia nodded her head, gathered her papers, and walked out of her boss’ office. When she returned to her desk, she started investigating the new company that she and Brian would be going after, and also on the city that they would be visiting. As she surfed the Internet, looking for reliable information, she began to wonder – _how bad could it be?_ Cynthia was pondering this new turn of events when her phone began to ring.

“Vangard, Mr. Kinney’s office. How may I assist you?” She listened intently to the caller and then placed the person on hold. She hit her intercom button and announced the call.

“Can it wait, Cyn?” Brian stated with an aggravated tone of voice. He was deep in a proposal for AT&T. Vangard was trying like hell to get this account out of McCann-Erickson Worldwide. He was attempting to figure out the latest mess that Brad and Bob left for him. The interruption was not welcomed.

“It’s on your personal line. I can tell the caller that…”

Brian cut her off mid-sentence. “I’ll take it. Thanks, Cyn.”

“Kinney.” Even at work, his phone manners were marginal at best. Brian listened intently to the caller, muttering agreement occasionally. After a few minutes, he hung up the phone. Glancing at his desk, he started to stuff papers into his briefcase while also logging off of his computer. As soon as he was satisfied that he had everything he would need, he grabbed his briefcase, laptop, and jacket and walked out of his office.

“Cynthia, I’ll be out of the office the rest of the afternoon. If anything comes up, call me on my cell.” Brian started to walk down the hallway to the bank of elevators that would lead him out of the office.

“Meeting, Brian?” she inquired, noting that he did not have anything on his calendar, including his ‘Private’ meeting notations. She had, however, noticed that his mood had improved greatly since this morning.

Brian turned on his heels, facing Cynthia. “You could say so. Actually, don’t disturb me unless the building is burning down. And if Vance gets curious, tell him I am working from home this afternoon.” With that, he gave her a quick wink and walked out of the office.


	5. Syracuse Charade

Brian pulled in to his parking spot and turned off the Jeep. He reached over to the passenger seat to collect his briefcase and laptop. As he picked up the objects, he wondered if he would really get any work accomplished this afternoon. The hangover headache was still threatening to take over what little ground he had gained on it over the previous few hours, but the thought of staying in the office made every ounce of work ethic he had drain away.

He opted for the elevator instead of the stairs, not wanting to lug the weight of his briefcase up six floors. Fishing around on his keychain, Brian located the small brass key that would call the elevator to the ground floor of the building. He deftly placed the key in the lock, turned it, and removed the key only after he heard the whine of the elevator winch.

Justin had just finished the final touches to the loft and his surprise for Brian when he heard the muffled whine of the elevator as it began its descent.

“Shit.” Justin muttered. Quickly setting the note that he wrote on the keyboard of Brian’s computer, he took one last quick glance around the loft. Grabbing his backpack and keys, he set the alarm and walked out of the loft.

Noticing that the elevator had started on its ascent, Justin ran down the stairs and out the front door of the building on Tremont Street, just as Brian was stepping off the elevator. _That was a close one,_ he thought, as he started walking down the street to the corner grocery store. He figured he had just enough time to run to the store and get the supplies he would need for dinner before Brian was finished with his surprise.

Brian opened the door to his loft and silenced the alarm. “Justin?” he called out, and noticed that the loft was perfectly still and quiet. _What the hell,_ he wondered, as he placed his laptop and briefcase down by the door. Brian glanced at his desk, and noticed a small piece of paper lying on the keyboard. He walked over to the desk and picked up the note, as he hit the play button on his answering machine. Brian read the note, but didn’t hear any of the messages that the machine was playing.

_B –Had to run back to PIFA real quick._  
Go up on the roof. There is a surprise for you.  
I will be back shortly  
-J 

“The roof? Why the roof?” Brian wondered aloud. _What the hell, I might as well see what the little shit has up his sleeve._ He kicked off his shoes and padded toward the bedroom, slowly removing his jacket and tie along the way. He took the three steps up to the bedroom while unbuttoning his shirt. When he reached the foot of his bed, he dropped the designer garments on the ledge that surrounded the bed. He finished removing his armor, and changed in to a pair of faded button-down jeans and a black wife beater. _I better go up on the roof and see why Justin called me home._ Brian walked back out of the loft and over to the access stairway to the roof of the building.

Once on the roof, he looked around and found nothing out of the ordinary. Investigating further, he walked around the roof to the sunroom. There he found a steaming hot bath freshly drawn in the Jacuzzi. Vanilla scented candles were set on the marble ledge around the luxury tub, and were flickering seductively.

Brian had installed a Jacuzzi after Justin moved back in to the loft after the bashing. It was something that both men could use for relaxation, and would assist Justin with his therapy. Granted, Justin only needed physical therapy on his right hand, the bashing having damaged the part of his brain that controlled the motor skills on his right side. But Justin and Brian had both needed emotional therapy to get past their memories of that night. Brian justified the Jacuzzi as less expensive and more practical than a shrink. They had not used the tub as often as Brian had planned, and he figured that Justin had forgotten about it. Obviously Brian was wrong.

Brian sat down on the bench across from the Jacuzzi, and started to undress, again. He noticed another note next to the control panel, and he picked up the note.

_I know – ‘ridiculously romantic’. Enjoy. Take some stress off.  
-J_

Brian held the note, and admired Justin’s handwriting. Even that part of Justin still amazed him. Most of the highly artistic and creative people Brian knew had terrible handwriting. Justin’s handwriting was always neat and beautiful -- a true window in to his soul. He set the note down on top of the pile of clothes, turned on the towel warmer, and stepped toward the Jacuzzi.

Brian hadn’t had a chance to tell Justin about the trip that Vance had sprung on him earlier in the day. Granted, he’d been working long hours lately to keep up on his account load, but he had not discussed work with Justin in the past week. _Hell, we haven’t really spent much time together save for last night. Maybe Justin is more attuned to me than I ever realized._

He gingerly lowered one foot in to the Jacuzzi, testing the water temperature. It was scalding hot, just how he liked his showers. He settled down in the tub and hit the button that started the jets.

Brian reclined in the Jacuzzi, enjoying the feel of the water hitting his skin. He could feel the stress leave his body. _How in the hell did Justin pull this off,_ Brian wondered. The Jacuzzi was still steaming, the candles lit but not burned down too far, but Justin was nowhere to be found when Brian had arrived. He had, admittedly, taken the elevator up to the loft instead of the stairs. _Perhaps Justin took the stairs as soon as he heard the elevator. That had to be it,_ he surmised. Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he settled down further in to the hot water and closed his eyes.

Justin slid the door to the loft shut as quietly as possible. He heard the quiet hum of the Jacuzzi motor vibrating the ceiling. _Good. Brian is in the Jacuzzi._ Gingerly walking across the floor, he set the grocery bag down on the counter, and then quickly walked to the bedroom to change in to his bathrobe. Glancing quickly in the closet, he noticed that Brian had left his bathrobe behind. He grabbed the garment and set out to join his lover in the Jacuzzi.

Quietly opening the door to the sunroom enclosure, Justin watched Brian. He was lying back in the steaming water with his eyes closed, his face showed no expression. Sliding the door shut, Justin could not remember the last time the Jacuzzi had been used. He dropped Brian’s robe next to the pile of clothes already on the cedar bench, and removed his own robe. The air was heavy with the steam generated by the tub. 

“Room for one more?” Justin inquired quietly, trying not to startle Brian.

Brian opened his eyes. His gaze found Justin, totally nude. He reached out to grab Justin by the wrist and pull him in to the tub. “Always room for you, Sunshine,” he drawled.

Justin smiled and allowed himself to be drawn in to the Jacuzzi. When he was close enough to reach the other man, he leaned in for a slow, languid kiss. Brian responded with a low, sensual growl that had an almost feral quality to it.

“Justin, how did you …”

Justin gently placed a finger over his lover’s lips, cutting the sentence off. “Shh. Sometimes I just know, Brian.” With that, he slowly started to kiss Brian, gently at first and then growing more forceful as the desire grew in intensity. He ran his hands down the older man’s torso, tugging at his nipples and absently drawing patterns on his chest. Without any warning, he grabbed Brian’s cock, and pleasantly found that it was already turgid. Justin slowly stroked Brian, watching pleasure paint over his lover’s face. Brian arched his back, the sensation of Justin’s hand stroking him intensified by the pulsating water of the Jacuzzi. Justin placed light kisses all over his face.

Justin straddled Brian’s hips and ground his rapidly growing erection in to his pelvis. The groan that left Brian’s lips let Justin know that he was thoroughly enjoying everything. 

Brian snaked his arms around Justin’s waist and pulled him in to a tight embrace. Finding Justin’s mouth, Brian ravaged him with a deep kiss. I love the taste of him. Justin broke the kiss, and started to slide down Brian’s body, leaving a trail of kisses behind.

Brian ran his fingers through Justin’s damp hair, gently tugging to try and keep him where he was. Justin took Brian’s hand and placed a kiss in his palm. “This is for you, just sit back and enjoy the ride.” Justin had a devilish smirk on his face as he reached over the side of the Jacuzzi. He grabbed the small bottle that he had stashed on the ledge and flipped the cap of the bottle open. 

“What are you up to Sunshine?” Brian inquired as he heard the distinct ‘snick’ of a bottle cap. 

“Just close your eyes and relax, Brian.” Justin stated seductively as he put a dollop of the richly scented liquid in the palm of his hand. Justin rubbed his hands together quickly and took Brian’s engorged cock in his hands and began to stroke him slowly. 

Brian’s eyes fluttered closed as the sensations of Justin’s hands stroking him, combined with the water jets massaging his skin and whatever Justin was using to lubricate his cock drove him wild.

Justin continued to tease Brian with light caresses across the length of his shaft, alternating a light, feather-like touch with firmer, more aggressive stroking. Brian’s breathing was quickening with each caress. Justin took his other hand and caressed Brian’s chest.

“Jus…wait, unnnh…” Brian was close to the edge, his orgasm a hairsbreadth away. Justin continued to stroke Brian, while leaning in to kiss his lover. Justin drew his tongue across Brian’s lips, asking for entrance. Brian grabbed Justin’s head and pulled him in closer, adding to the heat of their intense kiss, their tongues dueling for domination.

Brian broke the kiss, but continued to hold the back of Justin’s head. His breathing had a staccato pace, and he could feel the tingling at the base of his spine that meant he was ready to come. 

“That’s it Bri. Let it go.” Justin stated thickly, his arousal apparent. Brian attempted to reach for Justin’s now hard cock, but was met with Justin’s free hand moving Brian away. Brian’s eyes opened, and he gazed at Justin, a combination of lust and curiosity crossing his face.

“This is for you. You can take care of me later. Just enjoy this.” Justin took Brian’s hand and began to suck on his fingers. Brian groaned as he felt Justin’s tongue caressing his fingers like they were a miniature version of his cock. Brian’s body began to shake as he came.

As his breathing returned to normal, Brian pulled Justin in for another kiss. “Damn, Sunshine. You should call me home from work more often.”


	6. Syracuse Charade

(Brian’s POV)

Justin managed to pull a surprise on me. That doesn’t happen often, but sometimes he manages to do it.

I still want to know how in the hell he pulled this off. 

I don’t think…wait, actually I **know,** that the Jacuzzi has not been used since that night. I haven’t been able to face this part of my living space, especially right after…

Damn. I might as well say it. Ever since Justin left me for Ethan. I pushed, he went, and I never came back up here. This damn Jacuzzi with sunroom and all the god-damned renovations was the biggest concession I have ever made for another human being – I modified _my_ living space, _my_ sanctuary to accommodate another person. The fact that I did this willingly and that the person I was bending to was Justin made it so much more out of character for me. This is the twink, no – man, who weaseled his way in to my life, my loft, hell, _everywhere_ without really trying.

I was lost to him on that first night. 

I will admit, at least to myself, that I had something to do with that final gut-wrenching push off the cliff at the Rage party to Ethan. I thought that I wanted my old life back. The fuck-them-all-who-gives-a-shit Brian-fucking-Kinney life. I thought Justin would be happier with someone who _believed_ in wine and roses, romantic gestures, and those rotten three little words. 

I thought Justin needed better than me. I thought that he would be happier without me. And I knew I would be happier with him out of my life.

Boy, how wrong was I? That very same night that Justin left, I stopped sleeping. That first night I figured that Anita sold me some really weird shit and chalked it up to too much of everything that evening.

By the end of the first week, I couldn’t deny it anymore. I missed the little shit. The loft was too damn quiet and too damn clean without him there. He had been in the loft at some point while I was at work to collect the rest of his shit. Well, everything that he could find, that is.

When I came home from work that day, it finally hit me. _Justin is gone, and he will not be coming here again. This is not his home anymore._ The loft had never felt so empty and lifeless.

We avoided each other, until I decided to find his bubble-butt and talk to him. Brian Kinney, talking. Must be a sign of the apocalypse. I still knew his class schedule, a side benefit of paying his tuition. I showed up one day at PIFA, under the pretense of ‘checking up on my investment’. At least that’s how I justified it to myself. 

I finally found him in his studio, sitting on a stool and staring blankly at a canvas. He didn’t hear me walk in, so I got to see him with his guard down, and I didn’t like what I saw. Justin had always looked vibrant to me, from the halo-like glow of his blonde hair, the porcelain-like tone of his skin, and those gorgeous blue eyes. Justin’s eyes always appeared to be lit from within. Not anymore. The ‘Sunshine’ that I longed for, missed, and could not sleep without was no longer there. A shell – or, better yet - a ghost of that person was sitting on a stool in front of an empty canvas. 

I gently coughed to announce my presence, so that I wouldn’t give him a heart attack. Justin turned around and for a brief moment the old Sunshine came back, as bright and beautiful as I remembered. That moment didn’t last long enough for me. For that brief moment I remembered how damn good he made me feel. I felt whole, complete, for the first time since he walked out of Babylon with the fiddle player.

As quickly as that, the respite faded, I made a decision. Justin – us – was worth fighting, sacrificing, and holy shit – changing for. As if I didn’t already regret the Rage party. 

For a person who lived his life up to that point with a credo of no apologies and no regrets, this was huge. I regretted that push every damn minute of every damn day. Especially at night, when there was no one around but myself.

So we talked that day, the first time in a long time that we had been in the same space together. And damn, it felt _good_ to just share the same space with Justin. 

I asked Justin if he was happy with the fiddle player. He said yes, but his body language spoke volumes. I knew he was in the same mental place I was. 

Justin asked if we could still be friends. I smiled at him – there was still hope – and I told him “We never stopped being friends.”

We started seeing more of each other after that day. We spent more time talking and just being with each other than the last time we were together. And I think that Justin noticed the changes that I was trying to make. Damn it, I was changing for him, at least that’s what I wanted myself to believe. 

Now I don’t think I am changing just for Justin. I know that I am changing for me. And damn it, I think I like the changes.

Now I still have my moments where I still want to know that I can fuck whomever I want. But here’s the kick in the teeth – they are less frequent now than ever before in my adult life. I still find myself almost at the edge, ready to fall off the precipice into the void of seeking out pleasure just for the sheer unadulterated hell of it. 

Then I remember how I felt when Justin walked away from me, from us, into the open arms of Ethan. 

Not that I have told Justin that my tricking days appear to be numbered. I just keep it a hell of a lot more quiet than I used to. Shit, does that make me mo….mo….monogamous? Emotionally, I have been monogamous to him for a long time. I know he wants that physically also. I might just be able to give that to him. Maybe not tomorrow, but it sure seems like that is right around the corner.

Note to self: remember not to pick up blonde twinks standing under lampposts on Liberty again. 

Now I find myself sitting in a Jacuzzi that I never thought would be used again. I would have avoided this space forever because it held too many memories, memories of me and a blonde man who should have never made it in to my life. Memories like working past the after effects of the bashing, living, laughing, and what the hell, loving each other.

I’m finding that this – ugh – relationship shit isn’t just for lesbians and breeders who just want to get laid after all. There is something comforting in knowing that Justin will be here when I get home. God forbid – Brian Kinney might just be growing up.

Just don’t count on a commitment ceremony, complete with matching Vera Wang’s. That shit is just too ridiculously romantic.

But, damn-it-all, now that everything finally feels like it is going so well, and damn near effortlessly, something as trivial as a business trip is **forced** on me. I don’t want to think about how Justin might react to this. 

Then again, maybe he will surprise me. We aren’t the same people we were just 3 years ago. This isn’t a repeat of Vermont. 

I guess this will be the first test…the first separation....now I am getting all maudlin. This is nothing more than an inconvenience.

What is it that Hallmark says? Absence makes the heart grow fonder? 

I hope they’re right.


	7. Syracuse Charade

Brian and Justin were cuddling on the white Italian leather sofa in the living room, relaxing after their romp in the Jacuzzi. Justin was lying between Brian’s legs with his head resting on his chest.

“So, what has you in a blue funk today, Brian?” Justin inquired.

Brian ran his fingers through Justin’s fine blonde hair. “Justin, um, well…” he muttered.

“What? The great Brian Kinney is speechless?”

Brian sighed deeply, attempting to figure out how best to tell his lover the news of the day. _Shit,_ he thought. _How am I going to tell him this?_

“Brian, what? Did something happen today? Did you get some news that you don’t want to te…” 

Brian placed his hand on Justin’s face, turning it upward so that he could look at him. It quieted Justin. Brian stared into his beautiful, sky-blue eyes, and knew that he needed to tell Justin about the trip. 

Justin had a concerned look on his face. _Is this the end? Is he kicking me off Mt. Kinney?_ Justin wondered, preparing himself for the worst. 

Brian signaled Justin to move, and he got off the sofa. 

“Want a drink, Sunshine?” Brian asked as he walked over to the kitchen. He looked over to the sofa as he pulled a tumbler from the cabinet, while pouring himself some Jim Beam. Justin shook his head as Brian was recapping the bottle. 

Brian took a long draw of his drink to shore up his nerves. _This is why I believe in fucking, not talking. This shouldn’t be this difficult._ “Justin, well, um…Shit!” he exclaimed as he slammed his glass down on the counter for added effect. He looked over at Justin and whispered “Come here.”

Justin took a moment to digest what he had just heard. He stood up and walked over to Brian, but stopped just short of his destination, hesitant to close the space between them. Brian did not share his thoughts often, and when he decided to share, it was best not to crowd him. Justin had learned this early on.

Brian reached out to Justin and crushed him in a tight embrace. While Brian was not very skilled in vocalizing his emotions, he did speak in a language that only a few privileged people knew. Justin was one of the few, and he knew that Brian was trying to tell him something very important.

“Brian, what’s wrong?” Justin’s voice trailed off as he realized that he was being pushy. _This is no way to get him to talk._

Brian silenced the artist with a slow, languid kiss. His hands were rubbing circles on his lover’s back. They broke the kiss, but remained in the embrace. Brian set his chin on the top of Justin’s head and took in a deep breath.

“Oh hell, Justin. I don’t know why I am making this so difficult. It’s nothing major – just a business trip, that’s all.”

Justin let go of the breath that he had been holding. “Jesus Brian!” he exclaimed. “You had me worried there for a moment, and don’t ever tell me again that you are not capable of ‘queening out’! What, did Vance pop this on you this morning?”

Brian picked his glass back up and walked over to the sofa, motioning to Justin to follow. He sat down on the sofa and pulled Justin down to join him.

“I thought that Cynthia had told you earlier when I got home and found your ‘ridiculously romantic’ surprise.” Brian let out a huge sigh, not realizing that he had been holding in so much. 

“When do you leave?” Justin whispered.

“Monday.” Brian answered dryly. “But, here’s the kick in the ass. I’m not sure how long I’m going to be gone. The prick even told me that this is to be my ‘primary focus’.” There, he thought. _That’s done. I told him. He took it better this time. Hell, last time I just said ‘I’m going’ and left it at that. Maybe this communication shit works._

***

In Vance’s head the plan was perfect. Give the man a week; the rest of the team was told to pack up and leave. Give Brian an impossible goal – impress me with what you can do, and I will keep you – and watch him fail. From what Vance knew about Brian Kinney, this would be an easy task. Brian was a hotshot. Marty had told Vance as much. His reputation was known throughout the advertising world.

The one thing that Gardner Vance did not plan on was Brian. Vance expected Brian to give in and quit. What Vance didn’t bother to learn about this employee was that Brian did not quit or fail. Brian did not know the meaning of those words. 

Brian, with help from Cynthia, did as much research as possible on Gardner Vance and his track record. That is how Brian discovered that Vance had tried more than once to win Brown’s advertising business, and failed each time. Brown Athletic was the big client that Gardner Vance had always wanted to land, but was never quite good enough to get. By all accounts, this was Vance’s one big failure. 

Brian made a few calls and packed his briefcase. Before the afternoon was out, he was booked on a plane to Chicago, with a fully ready ad campaign that would knock the socks off Leo Brown. Even though Brown Athletic was not actively shopping for a new advertising agency, Brian was confident that he would return to Pittsburgh victorious. He was so confident, that he also made sure the contract was in his briefcase before he left his office that afternoon. The contract contained a clause that if Brown agreed to spend their entire advertising budget with Vangard, that Brian would be made a full partner in the agency.

Brian went home to the loft to pack for his trip, with Justin arrived shortly afterwards. Justin was looking forward to a promised week of snowboarding in Vermont but could tell that something wasn’t right when Brian started to pick through his suits. Brian said their trip would have to wait but gave no reason. Justin tried to argue, tried to get something of an explanation as to why their plans had to change at the last moment, but Brian ignored his pleas.

_...fuck business...  
...you are ‘fucking business’..._

Brian finished packing and walked out of the loft, leaving Justin behind.

At that point, Justin decided to go to Vermont anyway – to hell with Brian.

Brian went to Chicago and won the account. When he boarded the plane to return to the Pitts he was actually looking forward to showing Vance that he was worth keeping around, and excited to share his victory with Justin. He never thought that Justin would not be home to celebrate with him. Brian never expected Justin to go to Vermont without him.

He walked inside his loft with a bottle of Dom Perignon in his hand – this was definitely a night to celebrate – and found the loft empty. 

_...Hey Sunshine! Your ‘partner’ just made partner...  
...Sunshine?..._

Stashing the champagne in the fridge, he quickly changed out of his business armor and in to his favorite come-fuck-me outfit, and left to go catch up with Justin at Woody’s. 

When he arrived at Woody’s, the rest of the gang informed him that Justin had gone to Vermont without him. He decided at that point to go home to the loft and wait. Wait for Justin to return, wait for the next day to arrive.

Brian had never considered grabbing his ticket and getting on the next flight to Vermont. He never thought of calling Justin’s cell phone to find out where he was.

Brian remembered that trip, and made a silent vow to himself to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

***

Brian pushed Justin off of his lap. He stood up, grabbed Justin by the wrist, and started walking toward the bedroom. He pulled Justin closer and leaned in for a kiss. Justin sighed contentedly. Brian gently placed his lips on Justin’s, and his tongue lightly traced Justin’s lips as if to ask permission for entrance. Justin parted his lips slightly, allowing Brian’s tongue to ravage his mouth.

Justin reached between their bodies and untied the sash on Brian’s silk robe. Their kiss only broke for the briefest of moments, as their need for air became more urgent than their intense desire for each other. “Shower,” Brian uttered. Justin barely nodded his head as the two walked into the bathroom together. 

Justin untied his own robe and dropped it on the floor of the bathroom, while Brian started the shower. As the steam rose from the Plexiglas enclosure, the two men stepped inside. Brian slowly kissed his way down Justin’s body until he was on his knees. He took Justin’s stiffening cock into his mouth.

“Again already, Brian?” Justin groaned thickly.

Brian stopped the rhythmic action of his tongue just long enough to whisper “I could never get enough of you.”


	8. Syracuse Charade

“Hey, Sunshine!” Brian called out from the bedroom, while he perused the contents of his closet trying to pick out the perfect outfit for the evening.

Justin was sitting at his computer – the ‘electronic Crayola box’ – and doodling away. He was supposed to be working on an abstract piece, but it was not coming out the way he had expected it to. His emotions were running closer to the surface than he would have admitted, and his art reflected it. He didn’t hear Brian talking to him, at least not consciously. He changed the tool from the paintbrush to the eraser and started removing the last few shapes that he had added to the piece.

Brian stood on the top stair leading to the bedroom, watching the artist at work. _He must not have heard me._ Brian jumped down the three steps from the bedroom and walked over to the stainless steel refrigerator to retrieve a bottle of water. He opened the bottle and drank half of it at once.

“Justin?”

“Hmmmm?” the artist replied.

“What do you say about getting out of this place for a little while?”

“Yeah, sure Bri” Justin answered automatically.

Brian stood in the kitchen for a moment, realizing that Justin had probably not consciously heard a word that was said. He waited a moment and started again. “Sunshine!”

“Hummm?”

Brian chewed on his lower lip while contemplating his next comment. He walked over to his desk and picked up the phone. He pretended to dial a number and waited. “Hey, Melanie,” he said loudly, “How ‘bout you and I fuck. I’ve always wondered why they call it carpet munching.”

Justin screamed “WHAT!” and jumped up from his computer. He ran over to Brian, grabbed the phone, and started to talk in to it. He realized that the phone was turned off. Brian was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down his face.

Justin swatted at Brian. “That was awful!” he exclaimed. He smiled at Brian, “Why would you do something like that?”

“It did get your attention!” Brian wiped the tears from his face. _Damn, that felt good. I haven’t felt that good in ages._ “So, I’ll ask you again – what do you say about getting out of here?”

“I **_had_** planned on cooking you dinner, as part of your ‘ridiculously romantic’ surprise. But, I guess that could wait until tomorrow.” 

“I’ll cook your tasy ass if you don’t get ready.” Brian drawled.

Justin, still smiling mischievously, nodded toward Brian and bounced to the bedroom. 

The two men quickly got dressed and left the loft. They hopped in the Jeep and headed toward Liberty Avenue. Neither one spoke during the short drive. Brian reached over and laced his fingers in Justin’s hand. Justin glanced briefly at Brian, and found a slight smile on his face.

* * *

The Liberty Diner was quiet for a Friday night. Brian and Justin walked in and quickly scanned the room. The rest of the gang – Michael, Emmett, and Ted – had yet to arrive.

Brian grabbed Justin’s hand and led them to their traditional booth. While Brian was taking his jacket off, he heard a loud shout that could only originate from one person.

“Sunshine! Asshole!” Debbie Novotny, the surrogate mother to gay Pittsburgh, exclaimed loudly.

Justin handed his jacket to Brian, and gave Debbie a big hug. “Hey Deb.” His statement was cut short as the woman crushed him in a bear hug. He glanced over at Brian with a desperate look on his face. Brian couldn’t contain himself, the image of Justin crushed against the larger, red-haired woman was too much, and burst out laughing.

Debbie released Justin. Brian had already taken over his usual spot --the corner closest to the wall – and positioned Justin in close to his side.

Debbie sat down across from the ‘Royal Couple’ and quickly checked her ever-present red wig. “So, where in the hell have you boys been the last few days?” she inquired through her cracking gum. 

Both Brian and Justin answered at the same time – “Busy.” The men glanced at each other and started to giggle. 

“You two are acting like a couple of teenagers. I like that!” Debbie smiled a broad, loving smile at the two men who were almost like sons to her. Not many people were privileged enough to see Brian Kinney when he wasn’t being an asshole.

Hence her nickname for him.

Brian broke Deb’s reverie with his foot tapping hers underneath the table. “Could you at least get us some coffee Deb?”

Deb stood up briskly. “Right on it boys!” and went back to bustling around the diner.

Brian and Justin still had a case of the giggles, and Justin’s wasn’t helped by Brian’s stealth tickling. He was on the verge of breaking out in full laughter when Deb returned with their coffee.

“So, where’s the rest of the gang tonight?” she inquired.

Almost as soon as Deb finished speaking, the bell over the door began to jingle. A motley group of people walked through the door and toward the booth that Brian and Justin were occupying.

The rest of the gang – Michael, Ted, and Emmett – had arrived.

The new group of men removed their jackets and squeezed in on the bench seat opposite the lovers.

“Mikey, where’s your professor tonight?” Brian inquired of his best friend.

Michael shot Brian a dirty look before answering. “He has a late class today. He said he would meet me at Babylon later.”

Brian wanted to retort with a snide remark, but was interrupted by Deb. “What, not even a hello for your dear old mother?” she asked dryly, while tapping Michael on the head with her order pad.

“Will you quit that Ma!” Michael whined. “Hi” he said dryly, trying to avoid the inevitable barrage from his mother. 

Deb cracked her gum, while contemplating pushing the issue of her son’s dour mood, but opted to save that discussion for another time. She could figure out Michael’s problem without really thinking about it. It was sitting right in front of him, quite literally.

Michael could not accept Justin’s position in Brian’s life. It was as simple as that.

“So, what will it be tonight, boys?”

It was a typical night at the diner for the gang – Michael throwing barbs at Justin, Brian bitching in general, and Ted and Em playing referee. Brian tapped Justin on the knee to get him to move. Justin either ignored the tap, or just didn’t feel it. 

“Will ya move, Justin?” Brian stated dryly. Justin looked at Brian briefly and slid out of the booth. He grabbed his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and headed to the front door of the diner. “I’m stepping outside for some air.”

“What’s his problem tonight?” Ted inquired.

Justin shrugged his shoulders, trying to keep his poker face on. He knew that Brian didn’t want the gang to know he had to go out of town just yet. Justin also knew that Michael especially would not be happy to hear the news. 

Brian had stepped out of the diner so that he could have a few minutes to himself. _Sometimes Michael really gets on my nerves and tonight is one of them._ Brian lit a cigarette and hit the speed dial for the ‘munchers’ on his cell phone. About the time he figured that they were not going to answer and hang up, he heard Mel on the other end of the line.

“You know Brian, we have a child in the house. Try calling a little earlier in the day.” Her tone was caustic.

“Nice to hear your voice Mel,” Brian said. “Can you put Lindz on the line?” His tone was curt. There was no love lost between the two. A few moments later, Lindsay was on the line.

“Brian, what’s up?” Lindsay stated with an exasperated tone. 

“Hey, I’ll make this short so that your wife won’t try to rip my nuts off through the phone. I want to take Gus tomorrow. Give him his regular dose of masculinity. Do you think Mel will let me take my son without too much bitching?” Brian grabbed his cigarettes from his pocket and shook one out. Brian lit the cigarette and took a deep drag. _Jesus, Lindsay, please don’t make this difficult. And when the **fuck** did I start asking permission to see my kid?_

“I don’t know Brian. Why all of a sudden? You never just want to just take Gus.”

“No explanation. No ulterior motive. I just want to spend some time with my son. Is that all right with you?” _If I had known it would be this much shit, I would have just shown up at their house and picked him up._ “Just don’t give me shit, Lindz.”

The line was silent for a minute. Lindsay finally spoke. “Fine. I’ll bring him over tomorrow morning. Figure on us being there early, Brian. Make sure you get your beauty sleep tonight.” 

“Thanks Lindz. See ya tomorrow.” Brian disconnected the call, stubbed out his cigarette, and walked back in to the diner.

Justin heard the bell over the door chime and watched Brian walk back to their table. _He looks like the cat that ate the canary. I wonder what he has up his sleeve now._

Brian noticed the quizzical look plastered on Justin’s face. Justin got up from his seat to allow Brian back in to the booth. As Brian slid back to his spot, he dragged Justin along with him. He leaned over and whispered in Justin’s ear “Tell ya later. Don’t ask right now.” 

Justin looked up into Brian’s hazel eyes and saw that he was keeping everything together under a tight rein. _Obviously it’s nothing major. I know he doesn’t want to tell everyone that he is shipping out on Monday. Best to leave it alone._


	9. Syracuse Charade

The buzzing was a distant, almost ethereal sound. Brian couldn’t identify the source, but he did know that he wanted it to stop. He squinted against the daylight and groped for the designer alarm clock. _8:30 in the morning on a fucking Saturday. This had better be good._

Brian rolled out of bed and shuffled over to the intercom panel. He depressed the talk button. “This had better be worth my while, whoever you are,” he grumbled.

“DADDY!” a young voice screamed into the intercom four floors below. _Shit. Now I remember – Gus is coming over today._ Brian hit the release button for the door, and let his son and his mother into the building. 

He walked back to the bedroom, and grabbed his bathrobe. Glancing over at the bed, he grabbed the duvet and pulled it up over Justin’s shoulders. Leaning over, he brushed a lock of hair off of Justin’s forehead and gave him a light kiss on the temple. “Better enjoy the sleep, Sunshine. Gus the terrible will be up here soon.” he whispered softly.

Almost on cue there was a gentle knock on the steel door separating Brian’s sanctuary from the rest of the world. “Come on in Lindz, since when do you ever knock?” Brian hollered, as he walked to the kitchen. _Coffee, that would be a good thing. Maybe spike it with some Beam. Hell, there’s an idea._ The door opened with a screech, and in came a miniature version of Brian, running at full tilt.

“DADDY!” the happy toddler screeched as he went running toward Brian. Brian scooped Gus up in to a bear hug, preventing him from careening into the island countertop.

“Good morning Sonny Boy! You sound excited!”

“It’s all he could talk about last night and this morning. Don’t be surprised when he falls asleep early. He wouldn’t go to bed for us last night.” Lindsay set the pile of supplies that she had brought with her on the floor near the doorway.

“Jesus, Lindz. Did you think he was going away for a year? We don’t need all this shit here.” Brian stated with an exasperated sigh. 

“Brian, you know, as well as I do, that he has a short attention span. You never know what he is going to want to do from one minute to the next.” Lindsay walked over to the island and sat on a barstool. “Can you have Gus home by 7 tonight? 

Brian sat Gus down on the countertop as he was finishing preparing the coffee for the first of probably many pots that both he and Justin would be consuming during the day. “I think that can be arranged, Lindz.” Brian was interrupted by his son.

“Daddy, where dada Jussin?” Gus inquired.

Brian shot Lindsay a ‘what the fuck is this’ look, and she simply shrugged her shoulders.

Gus gently tapped Brian on the arm to get his attention. “Daddy, where iz he? I wanna see dada Jussin too!”

Brian tousled his son’s hair. “Gus, why do you call Justin ‘dada Justin’?” He was trying not to laugh at his son, but his referring to Justin as ‘dada’ had taken him aback.

“Dada, mommy is mommy, and mama Mel is my other mommy. Mommy an’ momma Mel wiv together. You’re my daddy, and you wiv wif Jussin. That makes Jussin my dada Jussin.” Gus stated plainly, with a miniature version of Brian’s tongue-in-cheek expression.

Brian smiled at his son. “You know what Gus, you have something there. And Justin is in bed, still sleeping. You want to go wake him up?”

Lindsay barely contained a snicker as her son started bouncing on his bottom and grunting excitedly. “Gus, use your words! You have to tell either me or daddy what you want.”

“Down, daddy. Pwease. I gonna go wake dada Jussin up!” Gus said excitedly. 

Brian picked Gus up and set him down on the floor. As soon as the toddler’s feet hit the ground, he went running toward the bedroom alcove. “DADA JUSSIN! WAKE UP!” he screamed as he ran to the bed. Gus climbed up on the ledge that surrounded the large bed and launched himself on to the bed next to Justin. 

Brian and Lindsay were watching the action from the kitchen, trying not to laugh as Gus jumped up and down on the bed to try and wake his ‘dada Jussin’ up. Brian started to walk toward the bedroom. Lindsay stopped him before he interrupted their son’s fun.

“Brian, let him be. He isn’t going to hurt anything.”

“Lindz, you shouldn’t let him jump on the bed. That’s not a good thing to do!” Brian stated with an exasperated tone of voice. 

Lindsay just sighed, hoping that he would not interrupt Gus’ fun. All of a sudden, a fit of giggles was heard in the bedroom.

“Dada Jussin, stop!” Gus squealed.

“Nope. Not until you apologize for waking me up like that Gus.” Justin stated, before tickling Gus again.

Brian walked up to the bedroom and grabbed his son off the bed. Tossing Gus over his shoulder, he started to tickle the three-year old. Gus began to squirm. “Stoppit Daddy!”

Justin rolled off the edge of the bed, grabbing for his boxers. “Thanks Brian. I was wondering how I was going to get out of bed without being seen.”

Brian leaned in for a quick kiss. “No problem Sunshine. Now get dressed, this little boy has us all day long.”


	10. Syracuse Charade

The elevator slowly climbed the six stories to the loft. Justin hurried ahead of Brian to open the large steel door, as Brian was carrying a very sleepy Gus.

"I'm gonna put him down. Grab me a beer, Sunshine?" Brian inquired quietly. Justin nodded, while stopping Brian just long enough to give the sleeping Gus a quick kiss on the top of his head.

Brian gently placed Gus in the center of the large bed, tucking him in and giving him a quick kiss. "Sleep well, Sonny Boy." he whispered to his son before joining Justin on the sofa.

"I think he wore me out Brian" Justin stated, sounding fatigued.

Brian took the cold beer from Justin and sat down next to him on the sofa. He twisted the cap off of the bottle and drank half of it at once. "Wow. We finally found someone you can't keep up with!" Justin swatted Brian's arm, a lighthearted smile on his face. Brian smiled back.

A comfortable silence descended on the loft.

_Look at this shit - domestic Brian. Scary fucking thought. Gus is asleep in the other room. Justin and I are sharing space and silence, and not an awkward moment. Holy shit...I could get used to this._ Brian laid his hand on Justin's leg.

“Brian, how long do you think you will be in New York?”

Brian contemplated his answer. “I don’t think it will take more than 2 weeks to develop and pitch the campaign.”

Justin nodded slightly. “But, isn’t that odd – you normally don’t go to the customer to work through developing a campaign, do you?”

“This time it’s what Gardner wants. I have a feeling that this is a setup. I think he wants me to fail. I guess he doesn’t know me very well.” Brian chuckled slightly. “Did you hear Gus’ new name for you?”

Justin nodded slightly. “Yeah – dada Jussin. Took me by surprise. How are you with that?”

Brian chewed on his lower lip for a moment, and then answered. “It’s ok. I mean, it’s good that Gus thinks of you that way. You are so good with him.” He looked away, not wanting to reveal too much to Justin through his eyes.

Justin reached out and gently ran his thumb along Brian’s jaw line. “Hey, you aren’t half bad with him yourself. You don’t give yourself enough credit, Brian. You are a great dad to Gus.”

Brian nodded slightly and harrumphed. The only sound in the loft was the quiet hum of the refrigerator.

After a couple of minutes, Justin looked at Brian. "OK, what has you all broody and angsty today?"

"I am not 'broody' or 'angsty'. What gave you that idea?" Brian looked at Justin with a tongue-in-cheek smirk.

"I don't know, Brian. You’ve been awfully quiet, and you've been downright un-snarky for an entire day. Not that I’m complaining."

"So that makes me 'broody' or 'angsty', hmm? Maybe Gus wore me out as well. Did you think of that one?”

Justin pondered for a moment. “Ok, what have you done with the real Brian Kinney?”

Brian laughed at Justin’s comment. “I’m right here Justin. Haven’t gone anywhere.” Brian pulled Justin in closer to him.

The two men sat in silence for a few moments, Brian idly playing with Justin’s hair. Justin let out a deep sigh. “Brian, I want to tell you something, but don’t interrupt me, OK?” Justin looked up at Brian, a questioning but serious look painted on his face.

Brian chuckled lightly. “OK, spill. You sound like you’re warming up to a drama queen moment.”

Justin giggled nervously. “I can’t say that I am thrilled about you having to go on this trip, but that’s something I have to get used to. But, I do want you to know that I finally ‘get’ why you trick.”

Brian tensed slightly at Justin’s words. _Oh shit, where is he going with this?_

Justin felt Brian tense at his statement, as if to speak. “Wait, Brian. Let me get through this. I have been thinking about this for a long time, you know. Even when I was with Ethan I was thinking about us.”

Brian relaxed slightly, and Justin sat up to face him. “I really understand it now, Brian. You don’t use a random trick as a replacement for me. It’s a stress reliever, pain management, a release for whatever has got you at that moment. You get something different out of sex, different from what I get.”

Brian leaned in to kiss Justin gently. “So, why are you telling me this now?”

“I just wanted you to know that I do understand. Brian, I am not asking you to become monogamous for me. I know you take precautions. I don’t want to think of you pining away in a hotel room night after night with just phone sex and your hand. If the opportunity arises, go for it.”

“You know the same goes for you, Justin. I have always said that. No locks on our doors, remember? That means if you want to trick, I’m not going to stop you.” Brian was holding Justin’s hands lightly, and gave them a quick squeeze.

“If, and I do stress IF, I were to trick, it would be for purely hedonistic reasons, Brian. I work my stress out with my art. And yes, maybe my WASP-ish upbringing gave me a romanticized version of how a relationship should work, but I don’t need to trick. No one compares to you. That’s primarily why I don’t trick. It never compares to what we do together.”

Brian leaned in to kiss Justin, capturing his mouth in a steamy kiss. When the kiss broke, Brian rested his forehead on Justin’s. “Right now, I would like to practice what we do together. Sound like a plan, Sunshine?”

Justin groaned lightly, and started to unbutton Brian’s shirt, running his fingers lightly over the skin of his chest as each button was undone. As he got to the last button, the sounds of little feet landing on the floor of the bedroom could be heard. “Daddy? Dada Jussin? Where are you?”

“Arrrgh. Can we continue this later?” Justin whispered.

Brian nodded slightly and quickly re-buttoned his shirt. “Over here, sonny-boy.”

Gus toddled over to where his dad was sitting, rubbing his eyes slightly. “I hungwy. Wanna go see Gwamma Deb, Daddy. Can we go see Gwamma Deb?”

Brian picked up his son and sat him on his lap. “I don’t see why not. You have to be home by seven though Gus. Do you want to call mommy and let her know not to hold dinner for you?”

Gus gave his father a big smile. “Call Mommy!! Call Mommy!” he exclaimed. Gus jumped off of Brian’s lap and ran over to the phone. He looked at the keypad for a moment, and brought the phone over to Brian.

“You want me to tell Mommy, or do you want to tell her, Gus?” 

“Me! Me! Me tell Mommy!” Gus exclaimed excitedly.

Brian dialed the number and handed the phone over to Gus. He had a serious expression as he listened to the ringing tone. Brian and Justin looked at each other, trying not to laugh. As soon as Gus heard Lindsay answer the phone, he became very animated.

“Mommy? Me Gus. Daddy gointa take me see Gwamma Deb for eats. S’ok?” Gus was silent for a moment. “YAY!!!” he exclaimed.

“Hand me the phone, Gus.” Brian held his hand out to his son. Gus gently placed the phone in his father’s hand, and hopped up on the sofa between his two dads. Brian talked to Lindsay quickly about the change in plans, and hung up the phone. “Well, let’s get ready to go see Grandma Deb.”

“YAY!!!” an excited Gus hollered, as he ran up to the bedroom to collect his things.


End file.
